BENGALURU: Six paintings by renowned Russian painter and philosopher Nicholas K. Roerich were moved from Bengaluru’s Chitrakala Parishath (CKP) to New Delhi’s National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) last week.
They will be part of an exhibition marking the 150th birth anniversary of Roerich. The six paintings part of the Himalayan series were handpicked by curators from NGMA and CKP.
This marks the first time Nicholas Roerich’s paintings have been taken out of the CKP gallery, according to BL Shankar, CKP president, who shared the information with TNSE.
CKP houses 36 paintings by Nicholas Roerich and 63 by his son, Svetoslav Roerich. Of these, six of Nicholas Roerich’s works have been sent to New Delhi.
“They will be on display at NGMA for three months starting January 15. Additionally, a gallery at CKP will showcase 35 unique paintings from the Himalayan series starting mid-January,” Shankar said.
The CKP gallery, which had been closed for renovations, is reopening after a long hiatus. Some of Roerich’s paintings required restoration before display.
Tataguni Estate to Become a Tourism Destination
The restoration was carried out with assistance from experts at the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).
The paintings were moved to New Delhi a week in advance to allow for special arrangements for their display, which require at least 10 days, Shankar explained.
More than 128 paintings by Roerich are located at the Devika Rani and Roerich Estate, also known as Tataguni Estate, on Kanakapura Road. This estate has been selected by the Union government for development as a tourist destination.
Efforts are underway, led by the Union and state governments and experts from CKP, to make it an eco-tourism destination. Input is also being sought from the Roerich and Devika Rani Estate Board and the Russian government.